Four adorable tiger cub siblings were rescued from a wildlife smuggling in Thailand this morning.

The two-month-old baby cats were locked in cages and covered with boxes while being carried on the back of a pickup truck from Ubon Ratchathani in the northeast of the country.

Wildlife officers tracking the alleged smugglers gathered intelligence pointing to buyers in Laos and Vietnam who planned to take the tiger cubs to gangs in benighted China.

However, police intercepted the vehicle shortly after 3:30am local time in Mukdahan province where they arrested the driver, Thanat Wongsan, 63, who now faces up to 10 years in prison for allegedly trading in protected animals.

The tiger cubs - two males and two females - have been taken into care by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

Pictures show the fragile protected animals curled up sleeping before being roused by vets to have their blood checked.

A spokesman said: 'A team of officers from multiple divisions arrested the suspect. He was found with four tiger cubs, all two months old. They were two male and two female babies.

'The suspect had incriminating equipment including two travel baskets, one mobile phone, and a Toyota pickup truck. The equipment was seized.

'The accused suspect will be detained and questioned by police officers. There is a strong consensus that he was trading in endangered wildlife.'

Officers from the Crime Suppression Division for Natural Resources and Environment took the suspect to the police station for further questioning.

They said he had changed his route at the last minute in an apparent attempt at a decoy but wildlife rangers were able to follow him.

The suspect now faces up to five years in prison for 'possession of protected wild animals without permission'.

While the more serious offense of 'trading in protected wildlife without permission' carries a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of 1,000,000 THB (28,116 USD / 23,792 GBP).

Wildlife teams will now check whether the tigers were captured from the wild or they had been raised illegally in captivity.

Environment officials claim that Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia where the tiger popular is rising. There are an estimated 148 to 149 tigers in the forests.

Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said: 'We have had success in improving their habitation areas by using the latest technology and the smart patrol systems. Thailand's tiger conservation and population recovery plans are certified by international standards.'